How to Save the World
shermanalexie.substack.com
stomp flat dozens of aluminum beer cans crush crush crush crush crush crush your father's beer cans so they can be recycled for cents per pound and this time the credits will be greater than the debts accrued and the money might be used for food
How to Save the World
Beautiful sad piece here, Sherman.
Few words, the economy enhances the energy and pain.
Beer only came in bottles in Aotearoa in my childhood. Not something we could use in a transaction. Pubs were for men, they closed at 6pm. It was called " the six o'clock swill" and drunks were thrown out on to the pavement, often unconcious.
But we could get 3 cents for every soft drink bottle we returned. We looked everywhere. Gathered up a heap and cashed them in.
Then, I'm ashamed to say, we would wait a day or two before we snuck out at night with a duffel bag each and stole them from the back of the shop.
To be resold in dribs and drabs to another shop. The shame at ripping off the shop keepers, who were always kind to us.
I hope Leonard is granted clemency, for a crime he did not commit...